Containers having accordion fold closures



June 7, 1966 B. M. NOLEN 3,254,825

CONTAINERS HAVING ACCORDION FOLD CLOSURES Filed 001;. 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0 I282 i as: 2615 SEAL 2 9 Fig.4 32 Ben MNolen ATTORNEYS June 7, 1966 B. M. .NOLEN 3,254,825

CONTAINERS HAVING ACCORDION FOLD CLOSURES Filed Oct. 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS This invention relates to new and useful improvements in containers having accordion fold closures.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel container having a closure of the accordion folding type so as to be of double wall or two ply thickness and so as to close and open automatically when moved toward and away from the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel United States Patent container having pairs of opposed side walls with accordion folded panels hinged thereto and coacting to form a readily openable closure for the container, the folded closure panels of one pair of opposed side walls spanning the space between the other pair of side walls and having notched or recessed end portions to accommodate the folding therebetween of the closure panels of said other pair of side walls.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a novel container, of the character described, having outer panels hinged to the closure panels and to one another for completely overlying the side walls when said closure panels are in closed position whereby said walls are of double or two ply thickness.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel container having a pair of opposed closures, of the character described, whereby the opposed walls formed by the closures are of double or two ply thickness so as to increase the strength thereof and permit the use of lighter weight or weaker and less expensive material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel container, of the character described, wherein the outermost closure panels have coacting flaps or tabs and openings at their outer margins for locking the closure in closed position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel container, of the character described, wherein all of its walls may be of double or two ply thickness with minimum waste of material and wherein its exterior can be colored, finished or otherwise decorated by' merely coloring, finishing or otherwise decorating only one side of the material from which the container is formed.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein examples of the invention are shown, and wherein:

' FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which a container in accordance with the invention is constructed,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container in its fully opened condition,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container in a partially closed condition,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container in .its fully closed condition,

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the closed container,

FIG. 6 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a view, similar to FIG. 6, taken on the line 77 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 4, showing a modified container in closed condition.

Patented June 7, 1966 In the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a rectangular blank of corrugated paperboard or other suitable bendable sheet material for forming a rectangular container 11 having apair of opposed longitudinal side walls 12 and a pair of opposed end or transverse side walls 13 hinged to one another in alternate, end-to-end relationship by vertical fold lines 14. A transverse, vertical fold line 15 hinges a coextensive glue flap 16 to the outer end margin of one of the side walls 12 for connection to the outer end margin of one of the end. walls 13. Each of the side walls has a substantially coextensive cover or closure panel 17, of a transverse width equal to the length of each end wall, hinged to at least one of its longitudinal margins by a longitudinal fold line 18 for coacting with a pair of cover or closure panels 19 which are coextensive with the corresponding longitudinal margins of the end walls and which are hinged thereto by longitudinal fold 'lines 20. Although the closure panels are shown hinged to both longitudinal margins of the side walls, it is noted' that said panels may be provided at only one of said margins. Each of the closure panels 19 has a transverse width slightly less than the length of each of the side walls 12.

A longitudinal fold line 21 extends medially of each closure panel 17 so as to divide the same into a pair of complementary sections or flaps 22. As shown by the numeral 23, the transverse margins of the flaps 22 of each panel 17 converge toward each other and meet at the end portions of the fold lines 21 whereby said lines are of relatively short length and said flaps are of substantially trapezoidal shape. Each panel 19 is divided into a pair of complementary sections or flaps 24 by a longitudinal, medial fold line 25. As shown in FIG. 3, the flaps 24 of each panel 19 are adapted to be folded inwardly into face-to-face relationship upon the fold line 25 between the flaps 22 of each of the panels 17 which are folded inwardly into face-to-face relationship on the fold line 21 whereby said flaps coact to form a closure for the container 11 or one wall thereof.

Longitudinal fold line-s 26 hinge coextensive outer side panels 27 to the outer longitudinal margins of the outermost closure flaps 22, while similar fold lines 28 hinged'ly connect similar outer end panels 29 to the outer longitudinal margins of the outermost closure flaps 24. The outer side and end panels 27 and 29 are hinged to one another by vertical fold lines 30 and are connected by a coextensive attachment or glue flap 31 hinged to the outer end margin of one of said outer panels by a vertical fold line 32 which extends transversely of the blank as do the fold lines 30. An elongated opening or slot 33 extends longitudinally of each side panel 27 contiguous and parallel to each fold line 26 for receiving lock flaps or tabs 34, which are integral with the innermost closure flaps 22 and are cut out of the side walls 12 contiguous and in spaced, parallel relation to the fold lines 18, whenthe closure panels 17 and 19 are folded inwardly to close the container (FIGS. 4-8). To facilitate engagement and disengagement of the slots 33 and tabs 34, the end panels 29 are bisected or split vertically by slits 35 extending transversely of the blank. The outer side and end panels are adapted to overlie the exteriors of the side and end walls of the assembled containers for reinforcing said walls, as well as for confining the outer margins of the closure panels against displacement, and may be of a transverse width sutficient to completely overlie said walls when the container is closed.

Since the blank 10 is rectangular except for the cutouts resulting from the trapezoidal shape of the closure flaps 22 and 24-, there is minimum waste of material without any portion of the retained material being superfiuous. In assembling the container 11, the side and end panels 27 and 29 are folded outwardly on the lines 26 and 28 into overlying relation to the outermost closure flaps. Next, the blank is folded on the lines 14 in a direction opposite to the outward folding of the panels 27 and 29 so as to dispose the side and end walls 12 and 13 and the closure panels 17 and 19, respectively attached thereto, in opposed relationships. This folding of the blank permits attachment of the flaps 16 and 31 to one of the end walls and to a pair of the outer end panels, said flaps being folded inward-1y on the lines and 32 which are alined. Since the lines 30 are in alinement with the lines 14, the outer side and end panels are permitted to told with the walls and closure panels of the container. It is noted that the glue flaps may be carried by one of the walls 13 and a pair of the outer end panels 29 for attachment to one of the walls 12 and a pair of theouter side panels 27 and that the attachment is not limited to the use of an adhesive.

When the closure panels 17 and 19 are provided at both longitudinal margins of the walls 12 and 13, the

' container is open ended or has an open top and open bottom as shown in FIG. 2. In this opened or erected position, the cotnainer may be folded flat on two of its transverse fold lines 14 and 30 for storage and shipment. The container 11 is closed by collapsing the same, as shown by the arrows in FIG; 3-, whereby the closure panels 17 and 19 fold inwardly on the lines 21 and 25 to dispose their respective flaps 22 and 24 in face-toface relationship. Due to the notches or recesses provided by the trapezoidal shape of the flaps 22, the folding of the flaps 24 therebetween is accommodated. Continued collapsing of the container moves the slots 33 into registration with the tabs 34 to permit locking engagement thereof, the slits 35 of the outer end panels 29 permitting limited outward movement of the outer side panels 27 during such engagement as well as disengagement. Since the closure panels 17 have a transverse width equal to the length of the end walls 13, said panels span the space between the side walls 12 when the container is com pletely closed as shown in FIGS. 4-6 and 8. The transverse width of the closure panels 19 is such that said panels, when folded, extend from the end walls 13 to the innermost portions of the folded panels 17 (FIGS. 4 and 7). Preferably, the outer panels 27 and 29 are of one-half the transverse width of the walls 12 and 13 so that said panels completely enclose said walls and the outer longitudinal margins of said panels abut when the container is closed. Due to this arrangement, all of the walls of the container are of double or two-ply thickness.

As pointed out hereinbefore, the closure panels may be applied toronly the top or one Wall of a container and the outer panels need not completely cover or enclose the side and end walls of the container. A modified container 41 is shown in FIG. 9 and includes side and end walls 42 and 43 and closure panels 44 and 45 which are similar to the walls 12 and 13 and panels 17 and 19. Each closure panel 44 has a pair of trapezoidal flaps 46 similar to the closure flaps 22, while each closure panel 45 has a pair of rectangular flaps 47, similar to the closure flaps 24, for folding between the flaps 46 in the manner described hereinbefore. Outer side and end panels 48 and 49, similar to the outer panels 27 and 29, are hinged to the outer longitudinal margins of the outermost closure flaps 46 and 47 for overlying portions of the walls 42 and'43. Since the outer panels 48 and 49 are of much less transverse width than the side and end walls, said panels function to reinforce and confine the outer margins of the closure panels 44 and 45 against displacement as well as provided the necessary connection of the closure panels. Instead of the glue flaps 16 and 31, the free ends of the walls and outer panels may be attached by tapes 50 and 51 or other suitable means. Although not shown, the bottom Wall of the modified container may be of any suitable type. It is noted that the wall provided by the coaction of the closure panel is of double or two-ply thickness.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as Well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within' the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to' secure by Letters Patent is:

A container including bottom, end, side and top walls, a closure panel hinged to at least one of the longitudinal margins of each end wall, a closure panel hinged to the same corresponding margin of each side wall, each closure panel being bisected by a longitudinal medial fold line so as to have a pair of complementary portions for inward folding into face-to-face relationship, the folded closure panels hinged to the side walls spanning the space between the end walls and having inwardly converging end margins to permit the closure panels hinged to said end walls to fold therebetween whereby the closure panels coact to form one of the bottom and top walls, and outer panels hinged to the outer longitudinal margins of the outermost portions of said clsure panels and to one another for confining said outer margins against displacement, the outer panels being folded outwardly so as to overlie said closure panels when the latter are unfolded and to overlie said end and side walls when said closure panels are folded, a tab at the outer longitudinal margin of one of the complementary portions of the closure panel hinged to each side wall, the other of said portions of said closure panel having an opening at its outer longitudinal margin for locking engagement by the tab when said closure panels are folded, said outer panels hinged to said closure panels which are hinged to said side Walls being split transversely to permit limited movement of said outer panels hinged to said closure panels which are hinged to said side walls during engagement and disengagement of the tabs and openings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 414,450 11/ 1889 Schwartz. 904,674 ll/ 1908 Bierwirth. 2,160,488 5/1939 Ringler. 2,577,588 12/1951 Paige 229l4 3,107,042 10/1963 Keith 22941 GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

